


The Lucky Ones

by littlemisscurious



Series: Tom, Olivia, Henry & Madeleine [9]
Category: Actor RPF, British Actor RPF, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, Sequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-05
Updated: 2014-12-03
Packaged: 2018-02-11 23:10:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2086686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlemisscurious/pseuds/littlemisscurious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>sequel to "Second Chances"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Love at First Sight

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Second Chances](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1016794) by [littlemisscurious](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlemisscurious/pseuds/littlemisscurious). 



 

Slowly, Olivia opened her eyes and, convinced that she was still dreaming, she watched the man lying next to her with loving eyes. His ginger-blond hair shimmered in the early morning sun and his brow twitched every so often while he dreamed. He looked gorgeous and Olivia wished she could really just open her eyes and see him lie next to her like this.

His breath tickled her skin and she just about suppressed a giggle at the sensation. What might he be dreaming of?

Quiet whimpering from the baby monitor distracted her soon after and still walking on clouds, she got up and walked into the nursery next door. What a beautiful room, she thought, ere bending over the side of the bed.

"Hello my gorgeous boy," she whispered and carefully she picked Henry up and held him close. It didn’t take long for Tom’s footsteps to be heard on the carpet and with a gentle smile she turned around. What a vivid dream, Olivia thought, as he breathed a kiss onto her lips.

 

"Morning," Tom whispered, stroking along her back. Olivia leaned onto him, determined to soak up the intensity of this dream as much as possible for later when she was awake.

Tom cooed at his baby boy, breathing kisses onto his fingers, onto his cheeks and his head. Henry watched him with wide and curious eyes before he stretched his tiny fingers out to grab his Daddy's hand. He showed his white, small denticles as he smiled and Olivia couldn’t help but smile along. What a wonderful, peaceful dream.

"Come on darling, let’s get you ready for breakfast," she mumbled against Henry's cheek and, avoiding the squeaky toy that Sam had left lying on the floor, she placed him gently on the changing table.

Her eyes fixed on the giggling and gurgling boy, she took his romper and diaper off. Without even feeling for the knobs on the chest of drawers, without hesitating, she grabbed the right utensils until her son lay changed and dressed in front of her. If only it were always this easy, Olivia thought.

 

Tom stared at her open-mouthed when she turned around with Henry back in her arms. "What is it?," she giggled, breathing in the clean, fresh baby scent of the little toddler.

"How did you do that?," Tom mumbled, pointing a little helplessly at the baby changing unit.

"Everything is possible in a dream, silly. Didn't you know that?" Olivia laughed quietly and walked past him out of the room.

"Yes, but this isn't a dream, Olivia." His voice was low and a little croaky.

Olivia came to a halt. "What do you mean? Of course this is a dream, Tom."

She jumped a little as he gave her a gentle pinch. "Ouch, what did you do that for?," she muttered, turning back towards him.

"If this were a dream, it wouldn't have felt that way, would it?," he whispered, tears welling up in his eyes.

Slowly, realisation dawned on her and if it hadn't been for Henry in her arms, she would have collapsed there and then. As it was, she managed to place him gently into his bed again, much to his surprise, before she sank down onto her knees, shaking, shivering and sobbing.

***

Still somewhat wearily, Olivia entered the house ahead of Tom and Henry. The visit to her doctor had caused almost as many questions as it had answered but fact was, she could see again. Sometimes her vision became a little blurry still and she also had a headache but she could live with that, she thought. But what would it be like to adjust to this new life after living in the dark for almost twenty years?

 

Peeling out of their warm winter clothes, they went into the living room together where Tom placed Henry into his little playpen. Babbling away happily, the toddler grabbed his toys, unaware of the miraculous events of the past few hours. Olivia watched him as he grabbed his stuffed teddy bear and chewed on its ear. Then she closed her eyes and listened. She listened to Tom cluttering around in the kitchen as he made a cup of tea for them. She listened to Sam’s paws on the oakwood floor. She listened to Henry’s mumbling and to the passing cars outside.

Wordlessly, Tom placed the mugs on the living room table ere he knelt down in front of his wife and wiped the tears away that were streaming down her cheeks. He could only imagine how overwhelming it must be for her, how wonderful yet also weird and frightening.

Slowly, Olivia opened her eyes once more, her vision blurred by tears. She took her time to look at Tom properly. Obviously he looked older than the last time she had seen him but he had aged well and looked handsome through and through. He still had the same wrinkles next to his eyes, which became even more prominent when he smiled.

 

“Go ahead,” Tom whispered with a smile, knowing that she longed to touch him to confirm it was real. Olivia blushed.

Gently, her fingertips traced the contours of his face. She knew what he felt like, what he smelled and sounded like. And now she knew what he looked like, too. What he really looked like.

“You’re so beautiful,” she whispered, placing a finger on his lips when he tried to protest. “In my mind you were always the Tom I knew, the 20-year-old who took me out for a drink in Cambridge. And now I can add another Tom to my memories, the one who has married me, the one who has spent these past decades with me. It’s just so…” She didn’t finish her sentence as tears once more overwhelmed her and, burying her face in his jumper, Olivia cried without shame. It was all a bit too much.

 

It was Sam’s heavy head resting on her thigh that made her look up again eventually. Sniffing quietly and wiping away some of her tears, she looked at her guide dog, her loyal companion. “Hello there you gorgeous boy,” she mumbled with a loving smile, gently stroking along his head, and the Labrador briefly licked her hand as if he knew exactly how she felt.

***

It was late when Tom eventually joined Olivia in their bedroom after a brief walk with Sam in the park. She looked tired as she sat there, holding their sleeping baby boy in her arms.

Once more tears glistened on her cheeks and after slipping into his pyjama bottoms, Tom crawled onto the mattress next to her.

“Hey, don’t cry,” he breathed, pressing a kiss onto her hair while he held her close to himself.

“I’m scared, Tom. What if it’s only temporary? What if I wake up tomorrow and I’m blind again? I don’t want to be blind again! I want to see you every day and I want to see Henry. I’ve missed so much already,” she whispered, desparate, afraid, and crying.

“Let’s be optimistic, darling. Let’s believe in this miracle and let’s not get lost in ‘what ifs’ and ‘maybes’,” he mumbled against her temple. Olivia nodded after a moment of hesitation.

 

“I still can’t believe that this is our little boy,” she whispered after a while. “He is so beautiful, so very beautiful.”

“That’s because he is your son, my love. He’s inherited your good looks,” Tom grinned, relieved when she looked up at him and smiled herself. “Just look at you, my darling. Just look at that twinkle in your eyes and your flushed cheeks and those kissable lips. Everything about you is wonderful, Olivia, and I am so glad that you can finally see all of it yourself,” he added, earnestly. Olivia blushed even more.

“I love you, Tom. And there’s nothing better than finally being able to look into your eyes while I say it...I love you! I love you! I love you,” she repeated again and again, albeit quietly and with a few more happy tears rolling down her cheeks.

Gently, he kissed them all away before breathing against her lips. “I love you, too, Olivia. I love you, too!”


	2. Paris

 

"Will you need any further assistance, Ma'am?" Placing the last of her bags on the trolley, the driver looked at her with a warm smile.

"No, thank you," Olivia smiled herself and handed him the money she owed him for the journey. Sam sat dutifully by her side and Henry was fast asleep in his pram as she watched the black cab drive away before a similar one pulled up at the curb in front of her.

"I'm so sorry you had to handle all of this on your own," Tom said even before he had fully exited the car. Olivia chuckled and breathed a kiss onto his lips.

"Don't worry, darling. All is well now," she smiled lovingly before waving at Luke who was still in the car that had brought them to St. Pancras International straight from their last press conference.

Tom merely beamed at her before saying goodbye from Luke himself. Steering the heavy trolley with their luggage through the station, he went ahead while Olivia followed, proudly pushing the pram with her sleeping son inside. Never had she imagined she'd be doing that one day.

***

Olivia had to stop briefly when they finally walked through Gare du Nord and Tom came to a halt next to her. “Are you okay?,” he whispered as he saw tears rolling down her cheeks. She nodded and, quickly, she wiped the salty drops away. “I just never thought I’d see this again,” Olivia smiled, blushing, and Tom pulled her into a loving embrace. “I know it’ll take some time to get used to it but everything’s alright now, my love. Everything’s good,” he whispered, soothingly, and she nodded. “Of course.”

 

All day they walked around the city with Henry strapped to his Daddy’s chest, his curious eyes glancing around, taking in everything he saw, everything he smelt, and heard. HE was a lot like his mummy in that respect.

Tom and Olivia, meanwhile, ate crêpes up at Montmartre and had a coffee by the Seine. They took selfies below the Eiffel Tower and held hands along the Champs-Élysées. They laughed so much their tummies hurt and they kissed and cuddled and stole glances at each other when they thought the other one wasn't looking. They felt like teenagers in love and they relished every minute of it.

 

It was late when they returned back to their small hotel and Henry was sleeping soundly, cuddled up to Tom’s chest, his small hand buried in his daddy’s shirt. Gently, Olivia took him and, trying not to wake him up, she changed him quickly. Wordlessly, she picked him up again afterwards and lay down on the big, comfy bed with her sleeping son well-protected in her arms.

For a moment, Tom simply watched them, watched her marvelling at their baby boy. How he had longed for her to see him one day, to see how beautiful, how perfect he was. And now his wish had come true, so suddenly, so unexpected. He didn’t question the why’s and how’s, didn’t linger for too long on the what if’s and maybe’s because there was no point. Fact was, she could see again and he’d be the last one to ruin that for her, for them.

Quickly, he retrieved his laptop from his bag before he settled down beside her, breathing a kiss onto her head.

“I hope you’re not going to work now,” Olivia mumbled, looking up at him through her thick, black lashes. Tom shook his head with a soothing smile.

“No, don’t worry. This is personal…” Ignoring her questioning look, he logged in and clicked a few buttons before finally arriving at the folder he was looking for.

“You might want to make yourself comfortable,” he smiled at his wife who readjusted Henry’s position in her arms before focusing her gaze on the laptop screen.

“What’s that, Tom?,” she murmured when he clicked on the first photo of many.

“This, my darling wife, is our life. These are all photos taken between the 4th of December 2001 and now. I asked all our friends and our families to send me all the photos they had of these years, photos of every birthday, every Christmas, photos of you and me and us. Photos of our wedding, of you being pregnant, and of Henry right after he was born. I think it’s time that you saw all of this.”

A quiet sob left Olivia’s mouth against her will and once again tears fell from her eyes. She was touched by the gesture, touched by his thoughtfulness. She had longed to see all of this, had wanted to ask him but hadn’t been quite sure how and when. She should have known he would make sure she’d be able to catch up with it all.

 

Photo by photo they clicked through the gallery, laughing about some, blushing about others. He showed her photos of Leo, of Susannah and George, photos of their trip to the Serpentine, and photos of that Christmas Day all those years ago when they watched Harry Potter at her parents’ house. He showed her the photos from Buscot Park, from that day when he had finally had the courage to tell her how he felt. He showed her photos from their first Christmas as a couple, of Leo playing in the snow, but also of Leo growing older, growing weaker.

Olivia shed a tear at the thought of her beloved companion. He had been always by her side, had watched over her day and night. She missed him. Hopefully he was happy where he was now with a soft bed to sleep on and an endless supply of treats. Briefly, her eyes wandered over to Sam sleeping peacefully by the open balcony door and she smiled.

Tom showed her photos of Charlie, of her sisters’ weddings until finally, eventually, they reached their own. “You looked so utterly stunning when you walked down the aisle. I was breathless, my darling. I couldn’t believe to be the lucky man who’d be able to spend the rest of his life by your side,” Tom whispered against her temple and Olivia blushed.

“I am the lucky one, Tom. Because you chose me even though you knew I couldn’t see. You’ve been with me for all these years, you’ve been by my side when so many others simply walked away. You have no idea how much that means to me and I also believe you have no idea how much I love you, how much I’ve always loved you,” she smiled, placing her hand gently on his cheek, her brown orbs meeting his blue ones in the semi-darkness of their room.

Tom knew he wouldn’t have the words to express what he felt so he simply leaned down and kissed her, long and gentle, and as if he intended to never stop again.

“Let’s keep the rest of the photos for another day,” she breathed against his lips before carefully slipping off the bed. Lovingly, she placed Henry in his small bed, breathing a kiss onto his forehead. “Sweet dreams, my little man,” Olivia smiled when Tom’s arms wrapped around her waist from behind. He, too, kissed their son goodnight before turning his wife around in his embrace.

 

Slowly, he took off her dress and threw it over the chair by the window. The Eiffel Tower twinkled in the background against the dark, summer sky but Tom had only eyes for her. His gaze still focused on her brown orbs, he took of his shirt, his shoes and trousers, until only a few scraps of fabric were left to cover their modesties.

“We need to be quiet tonight,” Olivia whispered with a cheeky grin and Tom chuckled as he pulled her slender frame against his own.

“Well...let’s see if you can manage that,” he growled into her ear, sending shivers down her spine. And as his hands trailed down to her behind, pulling her close against his body, Olivia knew he wouldn’t make this easy for her. But who was she to mind.


	3. Sunrise

 

Still sleepy and with half-closed eyes, Tom patted the mattress next to him until he realised that it really was empty and Olivia really had gone. Remaining as he was a little longer, he took a few deep breaths to slowly awaken his brain and his body. Outside, the sun was just about to rise, bathing everything in hues of gold and bronze, and Tom smiled at the thought of the day that lay ahead.

Slowly, he pushed himself off the pillows and relished the cold, wooden floor underneath his naked feet. The rays of sunlight falling in through a crack in the curtains tickled his smooth, tanned skin and let the short hairs covering his body twinkle in the morning sun. Yawning widely, he scratched his tummy and padded over to the bathroom.

A quick, cold shower was exactly what he needed and as he watched his reflection in the steamy bathroom mirror, counting the small lovebites and scratches covering his neck, his torso, his back, he thought back of that past night, of the way she had whispered his name into the darkness of their bedroom, of the way her long, slender legs had wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer, deeper, until they fell over the edge as one.

Once more he stretched his limbs as the door fell shut behind him and without thinking, without needing to check his phone for messages, he started running. His strides were long but not hurried and he took his time watching the world around him wake up too. The morning sun was reflected in his neighbours’ bedroom windows and here and there people were already bustling about, making coffee and reading the paper while wearing their dressing gowns. No one was in a hurry on such a lovely Sunday morning.

Tom smiled as he reached the park and greeting fellow joggers or dog walkers, he ran up and up and up until he reached the top. The city lay spread before him, its skyscrapers and churches and landmarks all huddled together in this big, overwhelming picture.

To outsiders she would probably look out of place sitting there on the bench, a chocolate labrador sleeping by her feet, her baby boy resting against her chest, sleeping soundly too.

To him she belonged there; right there on this bench at this time of day, watching the sun rise over London, Sam by her feet and Henry in her arms. She never wanted to miss another sunrise, she had said, and not long after she had found the perfect spot to watch the golden globe lighting up the capital. First, she’d sit here every morning, then only every second, until a few weeks ago she had decided that every Sunday was the rhythm she’d keep.

Tom slowed down as he approached them from behind, his worn-out running shoes almost inaudible on the concrete. She’d already have heard him, though. It was almost impossible to sneak up on her, too good were her ears after all these years of darkness.

Without a word, he took the seat beside her, his hand automatically finding hers. They sat there, quietly, listening to the birds, the cars, the wind in the leaves around them until they turned and looked at each other.

"Good morning," she breathed with a smile.

"Good morning," he whispered in return, leaning over to press a tender kiss onto her temple.

Sam didn’t stir and neither did Henry, whose tiny finger was wrapped around a curl of his Mummy’s hair, which was glistening like amber in the morning sun.

And for the umpteenth time but with a content smile on his lips, Tom read the words of William Blake - “I have conversed with the sipritual Sun. I saw him on Primrose Hill.”


	4. Drive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> song prompt: "Drive" by The Cars

Olivia startled when something, or rather someone, bumped into the front door all of a sudden. A quick glance onto her watch told her that it was already 2 in the morning and she seemed to have completely forgotten the time while reading in front of the fireplace. Cautiously, and with Sam watchfully by her side, she made her way to the door.

Through the small window next to it, she could see Tom leaning against it while he desperately tried to get the key into the lock. Carefully, and so as not to scare him, she opened it.

"Hi there," she smiled and he made a step back, almost tripping over his own feet.

"Hellooooo," Tom slurred, clearly quite drunk and somewhat embarrassed. He thought she’d have gone to bed long ago. "I’m sorry da-darling, I’m a bit drunk, I believe," he mumbled, swaying slightly from left to right as he clung onto the door frame.

"Yes, I can see that," Olivia chuckled, placing one arm around his waist. "Come on, let me help you," she added quietly and together they walked inside and walked - or in Tom’s case rather stumbled - upstairs.

Like a child, she helped him get undressed and while he sat on the edge of the mattress, his head in his hands, groaning quietly and apologising continuously, Olivia got a glass of water from the bathroom next door.

"Stop apologising, love. It’s fine, honestly," she whispered as she kneeled down in front of him.

"No it isn’t, Olivia. Look at me. I’m an embarrassment and a horrible husband and an incapable father," he muttered, his speech still slurred and his eyes not quite able to focus on one point in particular.

Shaking her head silently, she helped him drink the water before pushing him gently onto the bed. “You are a wonderful husband and father, Tom. Just because you go out and have a good time, doesn’t mean that you are an embarrassment, my love,” Olivia reassured him as she lay down next to him.

"But I danced on the table again and sang along to all the songs. I should not be doing that anymore. I’m no longer a twentysomething." He looked at her, worried and ashamed and she could even see a tear welling up in his eyes. He always got so sentimental when he was drunk.

"Honey,…let’s go to sleep now and tomorrow everything will look different, hm? And remember, whatever happens, I’m always by your side just like you are always by mine. We are a team, right?" Olivia smiled again, gently caressing his cheek and naked chest.

"Right," Tom mumbled, watching his gorgeous wife before sleep finally got the better of him.


	5. Growth

 

Groaning quietly and his curls just as askew as his pyjama bottoms, Tom padded into the sun-filled kitchen. The door to their garden was wide open and the enticing smell of coffee and a warm spring morning filled his nostrils, slowly awakening his senses.

 

“Morning Sam,” he mumbled as the labrador came inside to greet him before he grabbed his squeaky toy and ran back outside. Lazily, Tom stretched his limbs, surprised that his headache was not as bad as he had feared it would be, and a content smile on his face now, he poured himself a cup of coffee and walked outside.

 

“Hey, what’s going on here?,” he mumbled surprised as he went over to where Henry was sitting on the floor right beside his mummy, his trousers and hands slightly muddy.

 

“Good morning,” Olivia grinned, squinting up at him briefly, before she focused on the soil in front of her again. “Henry and I are planting pretty flowers and vegetables, aren’t we, love?,” she added, smiling at her son who beamed at her before he crawled over to where Tom had now taken a seat on the edge of their patio.

 

“Hello gorgeous,” Tom mumbled lovingly, picking his son up to cuddle with him while his eyes rested on his wife again. “How embarrassing did I behave last night?,” he asked, quietly, taking a careful sip from his coffee before placing the cup out of Henry’s reach again.

 

Olivia chuckled. “You didn’t. In fact you were rather cute as you always are when you’re drunk.” Wiping her dirty hands on her old trousers, she leaned back on her knees and grinned at him. How much she cherished the very fact that she could look at him again, look at Henry and, even better, at both of them together. Her eyes wandered slowly over Tom’s half-naked body, over his mop of curly hair, his tired, though twinkling eyes. She marvelled at the tenderness of his large hands when he held Henry, at the sound of his voice, when he spoke to their son.

 

“Did you hear that, Henry? She thinks I’m cute. I’m a lucky man, eh, don’t you think? We both are, in fact, because look at her. We can kiss her anytime we want and we can cuddle with her and tell her how much we love her every day of the week, every minute of the day….Well, you don’t really tell her that, I guess. You just dribble all over her, don’t you, sweetpea?” He chuckled quietly at his own little joke and Henry grinned along with him, his small, muddy hands trying to get a grasp of his Daddy’s fascinating curls.

 

Olivia blushed at his words and averted her gaze to her dirty hands.

 

“What are you planting?,” Tom asked after a few moments, their little boy now standing between his legs, looking around the garden, fascinated by every leaf, every butterfly, every movement in the grass.

 

Olivia looked around her, taking in the chaos of seeds and bulbs surrounding her legs. “Um, I’ve got beans, broccoli, carrots, courgette, lettuce, onion, and parsnips, and then basil, thyme, sage, and rosemary for the kitchen. And then I’ve got lots of pretty flowers and…yeah.” She blushed as she saw his amused smile.

 

Taking Henry’s small hands in his, Tom got up and walked the few steps over to where Olivia was still kneeling on the floor. Trying to avoid her gardening tools, seeds, and bulbs, Tom sat down in the grass beside her and wiped a strand of hair out of her face. “It’s so wonderful to see you like this, my love,” Tom whispered, cupping her cheek tenderly.

 

“What? Dirty and muddy?,” she mumbled, biting her lip. Tom laughed quietly.

 

“No, happy and smiling and loving life,” he explained while Henry once again climbed all over his daddy’s lap. “But, on a side note, dirty and muddy suits you, too,” he winked, relishing the sound of her laughter echoing around the garden. Briefly, their little boy looked at them, interrupting his endeavours to see what he might have missed, before he continued using his father as his most favourite climbing frame.

 

“Thank you, Tom,” she smiled. “Thank you for giving me so many reasons to be happy and to smile and to love life.” He already shook his head to contradict her but Olivia simply placed her lips onto his own, drowning out any words of protest that might have fallen from his lips.


	6. In the Lion's Den

 

“Good Morning,” he smiled at her, already waiting in the kitchen with a cup of coffee in his hand. “Morning,” Olivia smiled back, albeit way more sleepy than he was. How come he was always so damn cheerful whatever the time of day?

“Are you excited for tonight?” His blue eyes twinkled in the morning sun as he handed her her own cup of coffee and, briefly, Olivia pulled a face. “I’m not quite sure excited is the word I’d use,” she sighed, feeling somewhat anxious about the idea of stepping into the limelight with him that night at the BFI Awards.

“It’ll be fine, don’t worry! I’m with you at all times anyway,” Tom promised, placing his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to his firm chest. “I know,” she sighed once more and kissed the stubble on his chin before taking a small sip from the coffee in her hands.

 

“Maybe we should go back to bed and make use of the peace and quiet while we still can,” he whispered with a grin shortly after but just as Olivia wanted to reply, Henry could be heard through the baby monitor. “Our son doesn’t approve of that idea,” she grinned before walking upstairs to fetch her little one from his bed.

“Hello my gorgeous boy! Did you sleep well?” Gently, Olivia picked him up and cradled him in her arms. The little boy beamed at her and buried his small hands in her big, white shirt. “Shall we go downstairs and cuddle with your Daddy for a bit, eh? Would you like that, my love?” Still talking to him and breathing kisses onto his soft, sweet skin, Olivia padded downstairs, relishing the feeling of being to hold him, to cuddle with him without fear of bumping into something or falling down the stairs because of lack of vision. At times, she still couldn’t believe her luck.

 

“Henry’s face lit up once more when they entered the kitchen and he saw his father leaning against the worktop. Eagerly, he waved his arms and wiggled his feet and with a quiet chuckle, Olivia set him down onto the ground. Waving his little hands for balance, Henry set off immediately to walk the remaining metres without his Mummy’s help and Tom crouched down to meet him with open arms.

“Look at you! You’re going to outrun us in no time, won’t you, my little adventurer?,” he laughed, causing Henry to smile even wider than before. At last he fell into his Daddy’s arms, giggling happily and burying his chubby face in Tom’s worn-out shirt while Olivia watched them from the door with a loving smile on her lips.

 

“I’m going to take your Mummy out tonight, Henry. That sounds exciting, doesn’t it? And I plan to show off with her the entire evening. everybody will be jealous of me for having such a beautiful companion for the evening, don’t you agree?,” Tom mumbled into his son’s ear, though loud enough for Olivia to hear. Henry merely giggled again, obviously not aware of what his Daddy was talking about but simply relishing the sound of his voice. “I can’t wait for it, my gorgeous boy. I can’t wait for the world to see my beautiful, perfect wife again,” Tom added, quietly, his eyes resting on the woman by the door at all times.

***

“Do you think he’ll be alright without us?,” Olivia mumbled, checking her phone for the fifth time already since they left the house fifteen minutes ago. Tom chuckled and took her phone away only to tuck it into the inside pocket of his suit. “Honey, he’ll be fine. Penelope is with him, she knows him, he knows her, and we’ll only be gone for an evening. Stop worrying so much,” he smiled, intertwining her fingers with his own. Olivia sighed and looked out of the cabs at the houses and streets and cars that passed by the window.

“I’m not used to this, Tom. When I went with you before, I never actually saw anything. I never saw the photographers or the other stars or the carpet or the fancy, silver cutlery. But now I do and I’m scared that it will be too much,” she whispered without looking at him. She was scared she might cry if she did.

Leaning forwards, Tom asked the cab driver to stop in a little side street for a moment. The pavements were bustling with people who were on their way to restaurants and takeaway shops or a bit further west to the theatre district. Once they had stopped, Tom turned further towards her and gently her turned her, too.

“Olivia, darling, listen! It is totally normal to be nervous. I mean, I’m nervous, too. But you have me and I have you. If ever you feel uncomfortable, let me know and I’ll do my best to make you feel good again. I will kiss you and hug you and...and I’ll tell you silly jokes and I’ll show you photos of our perfect little baby boy. I will do anything in my power to make you feel good again. But please, don’t think that you being able to see now is a disadvantage because it’s quite the opposite,” he said, quietly, holding her hands in his own.”

He waited for her to nod before he continued, ”This time you’ll be able to see the photographers and that way you’ll be able to hide from them i you want to. You’ll be able to see the other actors and directors and you will be able to go to them and say hi if you wanted to. And you will see the food and the cutlery and the venue and you can tell me about how you’d love to have the same for dinner every Sunday...And above all, you will see how proud I am to be with you, how I can’t take my eyes off of you because you are simply stunning. You will see how I tell everyone, whether they want to hear it or not, how much I am in love with you and they will look at you and understand.”

A few single tears rolled down her cheeks when he had finished and, carefully as not to smudge her make up, Tom wiped them away with his thumbs.

“Please, my love, don’t be worried,” he pleaded once more, a loving smile on his lips.

Olivia could only nod before she kissed him, chastely but will all the love she felt within her. What was there to be afraid of now?


	7. Into the Wild

 

_“We’re going to the zoo to see a kangaroo._   
_We’re going to the zoo to see a kangaroo and a lion too._   
_We’re going to the zoo._

_The monkeys swing and climb...they know it’s feeding time._   
_The polar bear and seals enjoy their fishy meals._

_We’re going to the zoo….”_

Singing quietly, Olivia padded around the nursery, picking up squeaky toys and little shoes from the bright, yellow carpet. She hadn’t yet realised that Tom was standing in the door with little Henry swaying in between his feet, his small hands buried in his Daddy’s trouser legs.

 _“We’re go_ \- oh god, Tom, don’t do that!” Placing her hand above her heart, Olivia looked at him, startled, before she smiled widely at the sight of their little, gorgeous boy, who beamed at her proudly.

“Sorry love,” Tom smiled. “But we heard you singing about going to the zoo and our little adventurer seems quite fond of the idea,” he added with a wink and Olivia chuckled.

“I bet he does.”

Placing the few toys she was still holding in his cot, she walked over to her two favourite men and crouched down to her son, who instantly fell into her arms mumbling ‘Ma-ma’ continuously much to her delight.

“What do you think, darling? Shall we go to the zoo and look for a kangaroo?,” she smiled, breathing a kiss onto his fluffy hair.

“Yes please, Mummy,” Tom replied for his son in a rather high-pitched voice. Olivia looked up at him and laughed.

“Well...off we go then,” she winked, gently tickling Henry’s tummy.

***

“Is there anything in particular you’d like to see,” Tom mumbled into her ear, his arm wrapped around her waist while he carried Henry on his hip with the other. Snuggling up to him, Olivia studied the map of the London Zoo.

“Hmm...I’d love to see the meerkats and the penguins...and I think the monkeys might be fun for Henry. What about you?” Her eyes twinkling with excitement, she looked up at him before she pressed a quick kiss onto Henry’s nose, making him giggle.

“I totally agree about the monkeys. And maybe we could catch a quick glimpse of the tigers while we’re at it,” Tom grinned, looking much like a little boy himself all of a sudden. Olivia couldn’t help but laugh before they set off, marvelling at the animals, at their noises and sounds.

 

Watching them, Tom wasn’t quite sure who was more amazed by them, Olivia or Henry. He’d catch her lingering behind a little longer, staring at the mighty Gorillas or the cheeky Mangabeys before a happy squeal from Henry would remind her of their presence once more. He was touched by her almost child-like enthusiasm for it all, by her ability to look at things as if for the first time.

But then again, it was like the first time after all these years of darkness. The zoo had changed since she’d last been here as a teenager and she was now a grown woman, a mother, a wife. She had a different perspective on things now and if it was the way she giggled at the monkeys that reminded him of that, then so be it.

***

“Look at that, Henry. Look at all the penguins swimming around,” she mumbled into her son’s ear as they stood, or rather knelt, in front of the huge window that allowed them to watch the birds as they dived and swam.

Briefly, the little boy looked at her with big, curious eyes before he padded closer, his nose almost touching the glass, his hands pressed against the cold, smooth surface. Once, a penguin swam by really close and he almost fell backwards, so surprised was he. Olivia caught him with a smile.

“That was a bit close, wasn’t it?,” Tom laughed and crouched down beside them after he had taken a few photos of the mother-son-duo. Henry laughed and, leaning onto his Mummy now, he pointed at the penguins swimming in the water. “They like to swim just as much as you do, don’t they, poppet? But I think they are a bit better at holding their breath,” he winked, while his son was already distracted again by the movement in the water.

 

“Did you enjoy yourself, today?,” Tom whispered to his wife and Olivia turned her head towards him.

“Yes, I did. What about you?,” she smiled, mesmerised by the blue of his eyes that seemed even more intense beside the big and equally blue swimming pool.

“I had the best of times,” Tom replied, lovingly. “As I always do with the two of you. There’s nothing better than a day spend with you and Henry.”

Blushing a little, Olivia briefly lowered her gaze before she looked up and kissed him, tenderly. “I love you,” she breathed against his lips.

“I love you, too,” Tom smiled before Henry contributed his own declaration of love.

“Ma-ma! Da-da!,” he said, once more pointing at a penguin swimming by, the attention of his parents now firmly back on their little ray of light. A day at the zoo was indeed a day well spent.


	8. Do you want to build a snowman?

With a squeal Henry raced towards the patio door, his small nose instantly squashed against the glass as he watched the thick, heavy snowflakes fall from the grey winter sky. “Da-da! Da-da,” he shouted without taking his eyes off the white blanket and with a chuckle, Tom left his tea cup on the worktop and walked over to his son. “It’s snowing, isn’t it, Henry. Look at that,” he mumbled, crouching down behind the little boy who briefly turned towards his daddy with gleaming eyes.

 

Within seconds, Sam was by their side, scratching the door to be allowed outside and, picking up Henry, Tom fulfilled his wish. A cold gust of wind blew in his face and instantly, he wrapped his arms even tighter around his son to shield him from the cold. “Put some proper clothes on and you can go outside,” Olivia smiled as she stepped next to them. Tom nodded. “I think we’ll do just that, won’t we Henry?,” he winked at the toddler who was marvelling at Sam running around the garden.

 

It didn’t take long for all of them to be changed into warmer winter clothes and clad in his thick snow boots and an equally warm snow suit, Henry waited rather impatiently by the door. Before he could join their toddler, Olivia pulled Tom back to her and kissed him rather long and lovingly. “I wanted to do that all morning,” she mumbled against his lips, her eyes still closed and her hands still buried between his jumper and coat. With a growl, he pulled her closer and kissed her again until Henry wrapped his short arms around his leg and demanded his attention. “We’ll continue that later when he takes a nap,” Tom winked ere he picked his son up once again and walked outside into the snow with him.

 

“That’s cold, isn’t it, darling? It’s really, really cold,” he grinned at the little boy who kept touching the snow while looking back at his father again and again. Henry never stopped smiling. Even when he stumbled and landed face-down in the thick, white blanket he still beamed at his father, at Sam, at his mother, without missing a beat. Instantly, he got up again, giggled, grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it into his mouth, much to the dismay of his daddy. “That’s not for eating, sweetpea! It’s yuck!,” Tom chuckled and, amazed, Henry looked at the snow on his glove. “Yuck!,” he repeated after Tom, and Olivia, who still stood in the doorway, laughed.

 

“Come on, buddy! Let’s build a snowman for Mummy.” Crouching down, Tom started to make a ball out of the snow while Sam kept bouncing around, picking up the cold, white flakes and barking at nothing in particular much to Henry’s delight.

 

To be fair, it was rather Tom’s achievement than Henry’s but a little while later a small snowman with sticks as arms and stones as buttons stood beside the patio, grinning at the house. With proud smiles on their flushed faces, father and son stood beside their work of art, waiting for Olivia to admire it and praise them.

 

“This is wonderful! Thank you so much,” she grinned, stepping outside herself and walking towards her two favourite men. Proud as a peacock, Henry grinned up at his Mummy, stretching his short arms up towards her until she picked him up and pressed a loud kiss onto his cheek. “Thank you, Henry. That is a very pretty snowman. Shall we give him a name?” Henry nodded. “Ma-ma,” he mumbled, snuggling up to her, his bright, brown eyes fixed on the snow sculpture. “You want to call him Ma-ma? What about…Jack instead, hm? Jack the Snowman,” she suggested and again he nodded. “So, Jack it is,” Tom grinned and joined them for a cuddle before they walked inside again to warm up their frozen limbs and cheeks.


	9. Santa's Letter

"Mummy?" Leaning onto his mother’s legs while she was cooking, Henry looked up at her with his tousled hair and curious, brown eyes.

Turning down the stove and placing the spoon on the small plate beside it, Olivia looked at her son with a loving smile. “Yes love?”

The toddler hesitated and bit his lip, his small fingers drawing invisible patterns on her black tights before he asked quietly, “Will Santa still bring me presents?”  
Tom, who had just walked into the kitchen with a freshly bathed, fed, and changed Madeleine snuggled up against his chest, raised his eyebrows at his wife who merely shrugged her shoulders with a confused expression on her face.

Crouching down to be on eye-level with her son, Olly wiped a few hairs out of his eyes. “Of course he will. Why shouldn’t he, my darling?”

Briefly, Henry looked up at his father as Tom ruffled gently through his longer hair before his eyes were fixed on a random spot on his mother’s blouse again.

"Well, he already brought me Maddie so…maybe he thinks that’s enough because she’s really precious, isn’t she?" He blushed under the gentle gaze of his mother and buried his face in her blouse as she wrapped her arms around him.

"You’re right, Henry, she is really, really precious but you’ve been such a well-behaved boy this year and Santa knows that because he knows everything. I am convinced he will find a few things that he thinks you should have still. Don’t you worry about that, hm?"

Touched by his worries and thoughts regarding his sister, Olly breathed a kiss onto her son’s hair before picking him up and holding him close. The smile she loved so much eventually returned to his face and he played with a strand of her hair as he nodded.

"Have you finished your letter for Santa yet?," Tom asked with a smile and Henry turned towards him.

"Yes, I have. It’s got lots of pictures on it because I can’t write yet. But maybe you have to write his name on the front so he knows it’s for him," Henry replied earnestly and his father nodded.

"We can do that together and tomorrow we go to the post office and post it, alright?"

His initial worries forgotten, the little boy nodded enthusiastically before Olly put him down again so he could finish his letter to Santa with his father. Before Tom left the kitchen, though, he stole a kiss from her lips until finally following Henry with Maddie in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to find out more about Madeleine, visit my tumblr http://w-is-for-writing.tumblr.com :)


End file.
